Interlude: Year 2
by IneffablePassion
Summary: Marufuji Ryō, currently known as Hell Kaiser Ryō, was well aware that a significant part of his heart was missing. He tasted and savoured the satisfaction of victory, but there was no one there with him to share it. He never thought that the certain heiress was no longer the person he once knew. (Reasons to Remember insert after Chapter 13)


Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX except for Fukugawa Nao. All Naturia Synchro Monsters are changed to Ritual Monsters and Tuner Monsters are converted to regular Effect Monsters. Credits go to Takahashi Kazuki and Director Tsuji Hatsuki.

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><p><strong>Interlude: Year 2<strong>

Left and right - victory was imminent. The white and blue Obelisk uniform was long shed and replaced with black leather. No longer did he respect his opponents like he once did, but only sought to quench his thirst for victory.

Dropping his past morals was only a small price to pay, however.

There was a larger consequence he had to face.

It was another victory in the World League as Hell Kaiser Ryō, and in the car back to his apartment, he looked at his phone for any messages or missed calls. Once again, there was none. Even if there was anything, there were none from the girl he dedicated his victories; his success in the Pro League; and his heart. He owed her everything after all.

He thought that she would still reach out to him after he withdrew from the Fukugawa Family's sponsorship. At first, he thought she didn't contact him because of her loyalties to her family, but he knew her better than that. Nao would never give up on someone she placed her hopes on.

Ryō could never forget that last phone conversation they had back when he was still struggling to stay in the minor league - how heartbroken she sounded when she only wanted him to win. That was when it hit him harder than that moment.

She was trying to detach herself from him.

But why, he asked. Was it her obligation from her father to let him go? No, she wouldn't be so foolish to do something so devastating to herself. Something must have happened at Duel Academia that made her feel that way. Why else did she give him orders through tears?

Until now, he was sure that his own heart was slowly breaking a little bit at a time.

Once he was dropped off at his apartment, he dialled a number he never thought of ever calling. Although he wasn't surprised that this person answered the call, he was when they agreed to meet. He left his apartment as quickly as he came and made his way to the coffee shop he usually went to.

It didn't take very long for his acquaintance to arrive, and discreetly he may add. "This is a rare surprise, Hell Kaiser Ryō."

"I am not here on business, Mimura Koichi. If I was then I would be phoning the chairman."

There was a tense pause when the older man rhetorically asked, "It's about the young miss, isn't it? I was expecting that this was going to happen. I am sorry but after your return to the World League, she had completely lost contact with me and her parents."

"Do you have any word on what may be going on at Duel Academia?" he was slightly astounded with himself to ask about his old school.

"Word has it that there is a new cult called the Society of Light that had overtaken all of Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow. More than half of the students in the school have changed allegiance to what they referred to the White Dorm. Their leader is named Saiou Takuma."

"Saiou Takuma?"

"Based on the lack of communication from the young miss, we highly suspect that she is keeping herself hidden from the Society of Light or that she has been inevitably converted."

"Inevitably?"

"As an in-law member of the Fukugawa Family, I have been forbidden to speak of it, but I believe you have the right to know - as someone who is close to the young miss," Mimura took a sip of his tea and explained everything - from when Nao was caught in a tragic accident that had shaken her memories clean. Within those lost memories was a terrible calamity that sought to destroy the world and it was suspected to be doing so through Saiou Takuma at the very moment. Through her long term memory loss, it was slowly eating away her most recent ones until she remembers nothing at all.

Then she will be unable to remember her basic needs and eventually the muscle memory to breathe.

Ryō's hands clenched into tight fists, taking in the truth of everything. After processing, he asked the most important question of the entire conversation. "If she is converted, what will happen to her?"

"It is likely she will unleash all the negativity she endured all these years, and will not hesitate to defeat any opponent she faces - including those she once knew. She will have no memory of anyone - only an empty shell of a puppet under Saiou Takuma's control."

"What did you say? No memory of anyone? Not even of herself?"

"I know what you're going to say, but this I know for certain: you cannot save her. No one can - her mother or father cannot save her either," he paused, "Well perhaps one."

"Then who?" he demanded.

Mimura took his last sip and placed the tip on the table. "You should know him as the one who had driven you to the path of darkness."

Ryō listened to the door open and close with Mimura leaving the coffee shop. A pang of disappointment and helplessness filled his heart and let it sink to the bottom of his stomach with the one person he never liked; who was the only person who can bring her back.

"Ed Phoenix."

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><p>AN: Interlude Year 2 has been complete! To put it simply, the interludes are mostly drabbles in Ryō's point of view.

Sister of the Crimson Dragon - Interlude is now open for you to read! Thanks for your patience!

Reviews are welcome but not obliged.  
>That's all folks, Ineffable.<p> 


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